Switch-stand



No. 614,459.4 lratefnted Nov. 22, |898.

' vJ. F. lfAYL'OD.

swlTcH STAND.

. (Application filed June 19` 1R97.. l (,No Model.)` 2 Sheets---Sh'ee'tI.

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TH: Ncnms PETERS w. PHOTO-Lma., wAsmNcToN. D, c.

(No ModeL Patented Nov. 22, |898. J. F. GAYLURD.

SWITCH STAND.

{Application filed June 19. 1897.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

E y gl( l' l NTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE..

J OIIN FLETCHER GAYLORD, OF PORTSMOUTH, VIRGINIA.

SWITCH-STAN D.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 614,459, dated November22, 1898.

- Application filed T une 19, 1897. Serial No. 641,511. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN FLETCHER GAY- LORD, of Portsmouth, in thecounty of Norfolk and State of Virginia, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Switch- Stands; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in the operating mechanism ofrailway-switches, and has more particular reference to the switch shownin my application, Serial No. 620,793, led January 26, 1897, and allowedMay 19, 1897, and renewed March 8, 1898, No. 673,145.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figurel represents a perspective view of the device embodying my inventionapplied to a railroad track. Fig. 2 represents an enlarged detailperspective view of the switch stand and lever, the latter being thrownforward to leave the main line clear. This view shows the side of thestand opposite that seen in Fig. l. Fig. 3 represents a top plan view ofmy improved switch. Fig. 4 represents an enlarged detail perspectiveview of the sliding pawl; and Fig. 5 represents an enlarged detail,partly in section, of a portion of the switch-lever, pawl, and spring.Fig. 6 is a view of the operating-lever detached from locomotive.

1 1 in the drawings represent the pivoted switch-rail; 2, thetrip-lever; 3, the switchstand; 4, the switch-lever, and 5 the rod,connecting said lever with the movable rails 1. Said rails are mountedand connected in the usual manner of siding and main railswitches.

The rod 5 is provided with a stand 35, having a pin 36 mounted at itsupper end and projecting through an elongated slot 37, formed in thetrip-lever 2, which latter is pivotally mounted, as at 38, upon a stand39, similar to the stand 35. The relative positions of the stands 35 and39 are such that the trip-lever 2, when the switch-rails 1 have positionto break the main track, occupies a position at an angle to the rails ofthe main 41, which is adapted to engage the side of the lever 2 whensaid lever 40 is in its depressed position. In order to raise saidlatter lever at such times when its use is undesirable, I connect thecord 42 with the handle of the same. This cord passes up throughsuitable guiding-eyes upon the side of the locomotive to any suitableoperating-lever, whereby said lever 40 may be raised or lowered at will.In order to permit of vertical adjustment of the lever 40, I preferablyprovide the projection of the engine with a plurality of apertures intowhich its pivot-pin may be passed; but this is not material, as anysuitable means of adjustment may be employed. The said yrod 5 isprovided at its rear end with a lateral supporting-pin 12, having aforward inclined face 12, which rests on an inclined surface 13, formedon a horizontal strip secured to the base-plate 11. This strip 14 isformed at one end of the surface 13 with a depression 15, into whicht-he pin l2 is adapted to drop when the lever 4 is in its rear positionfor setting the switch open to the siding.

An angular arm 14a is secured upon the strip 14, so as to lie above andparallel with the same and form a guide for the pin 12. The lever 4 isprovided with laterally-projecting trunnions 17, adapted to Work inelongated slots 18, formed in the stand 3. These trunnions constitutethe pivot, and the lever 4 is vertically movable. The upper end of saidlever 4 operates between two segmental plates 19, each of which isprovided at each end with a notch or depression 2O and 21, respectively.One of said plates 19 is further provided with a rabbeted groove 22,having a segmental periphery 23 and a notch or dip 24, coincident withthe notch 20. The said IOO lever 4 is provided with a cross-bar 25, theopposite ends of which are adapted to become seated in the notches 2Owhen said lever is in its rear or open-switch position. Thislaterally-projecting cross-bar is provided at one end with anantifriction-roller 26, that rests upon the segmental surface 23,andthus supports the lever 4 in position with a minimum amount offriction while being moved over the segmental plates 19. iVhen saidlever 4 is in the open-switch position, this antifriction-wheel 2G dropsinto the notch 24. Said lever4 is further provided with a lockingpawl27, having a handle 28 and provided with side flanges 29 and a rearflange 30, the arrangement of said flanges being such that said pawlwill slide vertically upon said lever, but cannot be displaced laterallyupon the same. The inner surface of said pawl is formed with asemicylindrical recess 27 f, into which is fitted a coilspring 27 b, theouter half of said spring being adapted to fit into a semicylindricalrecess 27 C, formed in the rear side of the lever 4. By this means theraising of the pawl will compress the coilaspring, and thus form atension to return the pawl to its original position when the handle isreleased. Then the lever 4 is in the closed-switch position that itoccupies when the main line is open and the siding closed, this pawl 27by its own weight and the action of the spring drops into the notches 2lon the segmental plates 19, and thus locks the lever in this position.To prevent the said pawl from being raised by unauthorized persons whomay wish to throw the switch open and break the main line, the saidlever 4 is provided with a padlock-passage 31, which lies just above theupper end of said pawl when it has dropped into the notches 2l. It willthus be observed that a padlock applied to this aperture will preventthe said pawl from rising, and thus will lock the lever 4 permanently inposition. When the pawl is in the raised position which it occupies whenthe switch is open to the siding, the side flanges 29 of the same coverthe two ends of the passage 3l, and thus prevent the padlock from beingapplied to said lever until it is again moved forward to close theswitch. By this construction the switch-lever can only be locked whenthe main line is clear and the siding closed. The said lever 4 isprovided with a bell-crank lever 32, pivotally mounted thereon andprovided with an operating-handle 33. Then the said lever is in its rearor open-sidin g position,with the crossarm 25 resting in the notches 20,it is first necessary to lift said cross-arm out of said notches beforethe lever 4 can be pressed forward. In orderto accomplish this, thehandle 33 of the bell-crank lever is forced forward toward the lever 4,which causes the lower end 32 of said lever to engage the upper surfaceof one of the segmental plates 19, and thus raise the cross-arm andlever 4. Upon the release of said handle 33 it automatically resumes itsnormal position because of its' own weight, a suitable stop 34 beingmounted upon the lever 4 to prevent said handle dropping back too far.By the peculiar mounting of the trunnions 17 within the elongated slots18 and the lateral pin 12 on the surface 13, provided with the notch l5,this vertical moveL ment of the lever 4 is permitted without in; jury toany of the moving parts.

A vertical shaft 43 is suitably journaled upon the switch-stand and isformed with a crank-bend 44, connected to the lever 4 by a pivoted link45, so that when said lever is operated the shaft 43 is rotated eitherone way or the other, according to the direction in which said lever isadjusted. The upper end of said shaft 43 is provided With any suit-vable target or semaphore wings 46, Which are suitably colored toindicate, respectively, the condition of the switch to the engineer uponthe approaching train.

By the novel means employed in the construction of this device theswitch is automatically closed to the siding upon the approach of thetrain along the main line, as the trip-lever is operated by the lateralpressure upon it of the car attachment.

Then the switch-lever 4 is in its rear posi-l tion, the shifting of thepivoted rails by means of the trip 2 will force the connecting-bar 5rearward, thus causing the inclined face of the pin 12 to contact withthe forward inclined surface of the notch 15 to raise the lever 4 andpermit the ends of the cross-bar 25 to clear the notches 20. Said leverupon reaching its forward position is automatically locked by the pawl27 dropping into the notches 2l. By this means the said switchlever 4may be instantly thrown from the rear to the forward main-line positionby the approaching train, but cannot be operated vice versa without thepawl 27 being lifted by the attendant.

This invention altogether obviates the use of springs on the operatingparts, and thus permits of a positive and definite action, unaffected bythe temperature or elements to which itmay be exposed.

Should the engineer of an approaching train desire to take the trainonto the siding, he simply raises the bell-crank lever so as to clearthe trip, when the trainman can operate the switch-lever 4 to open saidsiding.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a railway-switch the combination with the pivoted switch-rails, ofan automaticallylocking switch-lever, 4 5 a rod, 5, connecting theswitch-lever with the switch-rails and provided with a stand, 35; astationary stand, 39; a laterally-movable trip-lever, 2, having one endpivoted to the said stationary stand and its movable end loosely engagedwith the said stand on the connecting-rod; and a pro; jection mounted onan engine and adapted to Ido 27", fitted into both the grooves orrecesses on the lever and pawl and serving to press the said pawldownward into engagement 15 With the said notches.

In testimony whereof I have signed lhis specification in the presence ofnwo subscribing Witnesses.

JOHN FLETCHER GAYLORD.

Witnesses ARTHUR BROWNING, WM. MUZZY.

